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TRENDING:

Ben Nelson officially a ‘yes’ on Wall Street vote

Centrist Sen. Ben Nelson
(D-Neb.) on Tuesday made his support for the Wall Street reform bill official,
assuring Democrats will get the 60 votes they need to move the
legislation.

Nelson had said Monday he was
undecided on the conference report, due to the structure of the new consumer
protection agency, among other reasons.

“I will support the Wall
Street reform bill to end bailouts, add commonsense consumer protections and
make sure that Nebraska Main Street businesses are not adversely affected as we
rein in recklessness on Wall Street,” Nelson said in a statement. “This bill
also will protect and empower consumers with new transparency and
accountability, and does so without raising taxes.”

The Nebraska senator was
expected to vote for the conference report, but his statement gives Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) assurance that he can pass the legislation
this week.

Reid plans to file cloture on
the legislation Tuesday, setting up a Thursday vote. The Wall Street reform
package is one of President Barack Obama’s top legislative priorities.

On Monday, GOP Sens. Olympia
Snowe (Maine) and Scott Brown (Mass.) said they would
vote for the conference report. Along with Sen. Susan Collins
(R-Maine), the three appeared to give Democrats the extra votes they needed
move the bill.

But in the absence of a replacement for the late Sen. Robert
Byrd (D-W.Va.) and without Nelson’s support, the Democrats had remained
one vote short.